dysentery

Last reviewed 01/2018

Dysentery is an infective inflammation of the intestine, especially the colon, with abdominal pain, tenesmus, and frequent stools containing blood and mucus.

Classically it is broadly divided into amoebic and bacillary dysentry; however the aetiology of bloody diarrhoea with mucus is broader than those two organisms.

It is important to remember any possible non infective causes of bloody diarrhoea, in particular the inflammatory bowel diseases.